Traitor Saldo sentenced to 15 years in prison for third time, this time for smuggling Ukrainian grain
Following a public indictment by prosecutors from the Kherson Regional Prosecutor’s Office, the so-called “governor” of the Kherson Region, under whose leadership Ukrainian grain was transported out of the temporarily occupied region and passed off as russian.
It was reported by the Prosecutor General's Office, according to the Ukrainian News agency.
Prosecutors proved that in 2022, Saldo headed the occupation administration of the Kherson Region. In this position, he pressured local businesses, facilitated the seizure of enterprises, and implemented the russian federation’s policy of appropriating Ukrainian assets.
In October 2022, he ordered his subordinates to remove grain crops stored at PrJSC “Kherson Bread Products Plant” and belonging to Ukrainian entrepreneurs. Carrying out this order, representatives of the occupying authorities, together with russian military personnel, illegally transported approximately 3,000 metric tons of grain worth nearly UAH 15 million to the left bank of the Kherson Region on three barges between October and November 2022.
The court found him guilty of issuing an order that violated the laws and customs of war and sentenced him to 15 years of imprisonment (Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The verdict was handed down in absentia. The convicted man will serve his sentence after his actual arrest.
This is already his third conviction. Previously, courts had twice found him guilty of crimes against the foundations of Ukraine’s national security and of collaborating with an aggressor state. Specifically, in November 2023, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison for treason, collaboration, and justifying the russian federation’s armed aggression against Ukraine, and in April 2026, he received another 15-year prison sentence for a series of crimes against national security.
As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, Saldo complained that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had attacked four bridges across the North Crimean Canal in a single night. The court handed down a second sentence to the collaborator Saldo, this time for holding a “referendum.” In May 2023, the High Anti-Corruption Court confiscated property and real estate belonging to the collaborator Saldo. And in September 2022, it was reported that the court had frozen the assets of the Saldo family’s company. During searches at Saldo’s residence, law enforcement officers discovered a “gold” watch that russian dictator vladimir putin had given to the collaborator.